


The World of The Northern Totems

by ShippersList



Series: The Northern Totems [7]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Cover Art, Not a fic, Omega Verse, Other, The Northern Totems, Totem animals, Worldbuilding, made up folklore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-26
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2018-03-16 07:36:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3479774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShippersList/pseuds/ShippersList
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This work is not a fic, but a guide to my The Northern Totems 'verse and will be updated several times over the course of the stories.</p><p>Feel free to ask clarification or more info, either in comments or via my <a href="http://shipperslist.tumblr.com">Tumblr</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The people

**THE GENDER DESIGNATIONS (A/B/O)**

Both males and females can present in any of the three secondary genders. This ’verse doesn’t dwell on the percentage of different genders in population.

For centuries, it was considered a fact that alphas were the brain and power of the family and clan; betas were used as work labor; whereas omegas stayed at home, procreating and looking pretty. Things have changed, though, and only the fundamentalist traditionalists think that omegas need to be coddled and shielded from the public. Nevertheless, omegas are still often considered property, and, even though they might have a say in their own lives, their purpose in life is mainly to mate and breed. Living outside their predetermined role is practically impossible, because there is no way for them to hide their scent or prevent their heats. There are rumors about herbal potions, but they are dismissed as lunacy.

Female betas have more freedom in their lives than omegas, as society's biological and social imperative doesn’t extend to them. If they are determined and skilled enough, they can even be successful soldiers, but usually they tend to go for business. Many innkeepers are female betas.

Female alphas exist, but they are quite a rarity, and usually sterile.

 

**Mating/bonding**

If an official marriage contract is used, it’s signed with a drop of blood from both parts of the union. The blood itself holds no real power, it's just a formality. Official contracts are seldom used amongst common people, because, to them, bonding itself is enough. Amongst the nobility, though, official contracts are quite common, because, in addition to being a formal marriage contract, they often act as official documents of alliances.

All genders can bond with each other. Nowadays, all pairings are accepted, but, in traditional families, same gender pairs are frowned upon. A/O-bonds with a male alpha are the strongest and the most likely to breed.

The bonding is initiated with a claiming bite on the scent gland. The bite and the saliva cause a chain reaction of hormonal and pheromonal release that will adjust the recipient’s body and trigger the mating heat. Mounting (and knotting, when mating an omega) completes the bonding. Bonding is possible during a regular heat as well.

Alphas don’t need the bite to bond because of their biological imperative to protect their bondmate. For betas, the mutual bite is needed to create strong enough a link between the pair.

 

**Procreation**

Female betas and omegas, and male omegas are able to get pregnant and lactate.

Females are impregnated and give birth through their vagina that is separate from their rectum, and their breasts contain fatty tissue and mammary glands.

Male omegas have a channel (cloaca), which acts both as a rectum and a birth canal. Generally, the channel acts as a rectum, but during intercourse, heats, and delivery, the inner sphincter contracts to close off the way to the intestines. The vaginal opening located on the back of the channel activates during the heat and the delivery, allowing sperm in or the pup out. Otherwise, it’s plugged by mucus, something that’s important especially during a pregnancy. In order to allow pups to be born through the birth canal, male omegas have slightly wider hips than beta and alpha males, and the pelvic opening is as wide as female beta’s and omega’s – if not wider.

During the third trimester, a male omega’s mammary glands start to swell and prepare to produce milk for their pups. They never grow as big as female breasts (that are mainly fat tissue, after all), but they are visible even through clothes.

Female betas have lunar cycles and can get pregnant once in a month. Omegas of both genders have heats every three to four moons (lasting four to seven days), during which time conception is possible. Omegas can’t get pregnant outside heats. The first heat after a delivery or miscarriage is a fertile one and takes place in three to nine months after the delivery or miscarriage, depending on the tissue damage and blood loss.

All three carrier genders go through menopause, after which they no longer get heats nor get pregnant.

 

* * *

 

**TOTEM ANIMALS**

Totem animals manifest when their intended human enters puberty and presents their secondary gender. The totem is always of the same gender as their human. It’s a personification and an extension of the self and shares the majority of personality traits with their human. Sometimes you can deduce a lot just by observing the totem, but things aren't always what they seem.

Totems sometimes reflect the status of their humans: nobility has "nobler" totems, and common folk have more "common" totem animals. But as said, sometimes looks can be deceiving. The difference is minimal and open to interpretation. Totems are sterile and they don't interact with normal animals, apart from occasionally chasing them for fun. Normal animals sense the otherworldliness in totem animals, and instinctively shy away from them. A bunny-shaped totem can scare away a normal wolf with a mere look.

Totem animals don't speak, but they communicate with their humans on a subconscious level. It depends on the person how deeply they can communicate: some regard their totem animal as a true companion, while to others it is an accessory. No-one knows how totems communicate with each other, but it's clear they do it somehow, sometimes even from great distances. Close relations (familial relations, mating bonds or deep friendship) make it easier for the totems to communicate with each other.

Although they choose to stay as companions, in dire need totems can assist, warn, comfort or even fight for or with their human. Usually totems stay very close to the humans they are connected with, but Northerners can send their totems further away than is considered normal. That tends to freak people out. A lot.

Touching another human’s totem is extremely bad behavior, and is widely considered taboo. The Northerners are, again, an exception to the rule.

Killing the human will also kill the totem. The human might survive the death of his/her totem, but the result is often madness. Usually it is considered a mercy to kill the human, too. After their death the pair is rejoined in the Spirit World.

 

* * *

 

** THE SHAMAN ANCESTORS  **

A long, long time ago, the North was populated by a shaman race. They were deeply attuned to the flora and fauna, and were able to talk with common animals as well as their own totems. They were most likely able to practice magic: controlling weather, healing the sick and injured, improving the harvest… No-one knows what happened, but suddenly they were gone, and the only things that remained were the songs, some random written texts, and a bunch of words.

The Northerners share the genetic heritage of their shaman ancestors. They have a deeper connection to their totems than the rest of the population, and every now and then there is someone born with an Ability, like the Sight (the ability to decipher one’s soul, to see into the Spirit World) or Skinwalking (the ability to combine minds with one’s totem and become as one).

There are stories claiming that not all ancestors are gone, that their spirits live in the old forests and fjelds, looking after their descendants. No-one has ever seen them, though.

 

**The Lost Language**

Pretty much the only thing left from the ancestors is snippets of language, commonly used in songs to pass on as oral lore. The most important songs are Heajat Lávlla, the Song of Mating; Riegádus Lávlla, the Song of Birth; and Jápmin Lávlla, the Song of Death. The songs help the Northerners to connect to the Spirit World and to their ancestors.

In written form, the language is presented in glyphs, but, without the knowledge, they are impossible to read. The glyphs can be seen here and there; carved in old trees or painted into the ceiling of a cave near the passage to the White.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • The "Shaman words" are a direct translate from the [Northern Sami language](http://people.uta.fi/~km56049/same/svocab.html). The Sami people – also known as Laplanders – are the only native people of the European Union, living in the area called Sápmi that covers the Northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. More info about the Sami people can be found at [Gáldu](http://www.galdu.org/web/index.php?giella1=eng), [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sami_people) and [UN](http://www.unric.org/en/latest-news/27750-the-sami-one-people-four-countries-).  
> When I use the Sami language as the lost Shaman language of this 'verse, I do it with utmost respect and love. If, however, there is something that's amiss or needs correction, please, let me know.  
> 


	2. The Land

The Grey Castle lies in the North, roughly in an area that equals our Arctic Circle. The area has four distinct seasons. The castle itself is situated near a big lake, cradled in a valley surrounded with fjelds and forests. 

 

**The Grey Castle**

Grey Castle is the smallest of the vassal states on the continent. The castle is self-sustaining, able to provide for its inhabitants and the people living in its immediate vicinity. They cultivate fields and have livestock, and they can produce their own clothes, shoes and gadgets, if they so choose. The Northerners have never been ones to revel in wealth and status, the community being more interested in the common good and the wellbeing of all. They have no army, but have the castle guard and a group of Rangers instead. The castle guard acts as the official law enforcement, while Rangers prevent robbers, poachers, and roving bands of bandits. The castle Steward is in charge of Rangers, while the Lord is in charge of the castle guard.

Grey Castle area has always chosen to stay out of the political skirmishes, opting to remain neutral. The area holds almost no natural resources (e.g. valuable minerals or gems), and it has no access to the sea. The only valuable material they have is wood, but, due an ancient treaty, there is a strict limit of how much wood they are allowed to cut down and sell annually. Northern wood is of very high quality and valued around the continent.

The Northerners are crafty people. The long winter allows them to manufacture a solid stock of products that are sold during summer. They specialize especially in weaving textiles, and in engraving intricate, but practical everyday tools.

 

**Polar Night and Midnight Sun**

Kaamos, a.k.a. Polar Night, is a period of time when night lasts more than 24 hours. This occurs only inside polar circles and lasts approximately three months. This story takes place in an area of Polar Twilight, where it's not completely dark, but the world is surrounded in twilight blue instead. Kaamos can trigger severe depression in some people.

The opposite of Kaamos is Midnight Sun, a period of time when sun the sun stays above horizon for more than 24 hours. This lasts approximately three to four months, and obviously makes trying to sleep a challenge…

 

**The White**

Further North from the castle lies the White, a land of mystery and magic. It has been in the edge of the Grey Castle region for as long as anyone can remember, unreachable, untameable, sacred. Many have tried to find the White and failed, returning home telling stories of ever-changing landscapes that taunt them until they give up. Others have lost their way, never returning back home.

The stories tell that in the White lives the spirit of the last great shaman of the Ancestors, guarding his people and the land. No-one knows if the stories are true but the Northerners respect and honor the White nevertheless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> • In my head, Grey Castle looks a lot like the Olavinlinna Castle. Check a winter reference [here](http://shop.arcticparadise.fi/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/olavinlinnatalvi.png) and a summer reference [here](http://www02.oph.fi/etalukio/kuvataide/kurssi2/kuvat/kuva63.jpg).


	3. The Characters and their Totems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own absolutely none of these pictures.

Dean: alpha, [grey wolf](http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/F1/F180F245-AC5D-41A0-BFAA-2641C17D83B6/Presentation.Large/Female-Eurasian-wolf-following-scent.jpg) 

Castiel: omega, [ermine](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/12/18/article-1097444-02D76E72000005DC-685_468x339.jpg)

Sam: beta, [snowy owl ](http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/31/31EF9882-6FE3-4D41-98C7-E0CA0FD2D2AE/Presentation.Large/Male-snowy-owl-landing-at-the-nest-with-food-for-chick.jpg)

Bobby: alpha, [Eurasian elk](http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/83/83253CF7-32AD-48A8-AB92-58BC2CCBE1D5/Presentation.Large/Eurasian-elk-bull.jpg)

Rufus: alpha, [buzzard](http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/D4/D4ED2DCD-D65C-48A6-B8F9-7E3B90FD2AEF/Presentation.Large/Common-buzzard-portrait.jpg)

Ellen: beta, [lynx](http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/8E/8E60D477-2708-44E3-88B8-691F904C6434/Presentation.Large/Eurasian-lynx-with-cub-in-snow.jpg)

Jo: omega, [arctic fox](http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/1C/1C6F1136-ABD0-46D4-BB53-B2F2A8609F89/Presentation.Large/Arctic-fox-walking-across-ice.jpg)

Kevin: alpha, [wolverine](http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/A7/A7CF41F6-3854-4349-AA26-1BD1B5DB1660/Presentation.Large/European-wolverine-in-woodland.jpg)

Andy: alpha, [lemming](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Tunturisopuli_Lemmus_Lemmus.jpg)

Linda: omega, [arctic hare](http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/70/70C7D4AB-D955-4F4F-88C4-3FF1F675E185/Presentation.Large/Arctic-hare-grazing.jpg)

Pamela: alpha, [ptarmigan](http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/7C/7CC8DCAF-4004-4985-922F-16032C220A3E/Presentation.Large/Female-ptarmigan.jpg)

Missouri: omega, [ocelot](http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/0E/0EC97BC4-BC1A-4E3C-8DE7-631952E03DE3/Presentation.Large/Ocelot-resting-in-a-tree.jpg)

Megan: omega, [barn swallow](http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/E1/E16CAEC6-28C9-444C-9D73-B8AAD10DA8EC/Presentation.Large/Barn-swallow-sits-on-barbed-wire.jpg)

Jody Mills: beta, [Rottweiler](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Dog_rottweiler.jpg)

Donna: omega, [salamander](http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/EA/EA444E97-79E3-4A5B-9A71-69D22BAE4ED9/Presentation.Large/Santa-Cruz-black-salamander-Aneides-flavipunctatus-niger-in-habitat.jpg)

Viktor: alpha, [gyrfalcon](http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/FF/FFE78845-4DC0-4E5E-BD33-256B9BB98DC8/Presentation.Large/Gyr-falcon-hunting-in-flight.jpg)

Crowley: beta, [badger](http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/90/90654AF6-265F-4971-B95D-A48059231247/Presentation.Large/Badger-portrait.jpg)

Benny: alpha, [black flying fox](http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/4A/4AEAA1DD-F105-4EEC-89F7-7D73169CD7B4/Presentation.Large/Black-flying-fox-in-flight.jpg)

Charlie: beta, [magpie](http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/87/87B54EF3-B5F8-419F-A521-C326DD991282/Presentation.Large/Magpie.jpg)

Garth: alpha, [Great Dane](http://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.prod.vetstreet.com/1a/2f38b0a0d711e0a2380050568d634f/file/great-dane-1-645mk062411.jpg)

 

John: alpha, [brown bear](http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/FE/FE147006-401C-4D24-BA90-13DC832547DC/Presentation.Large/Brown-bear-scratching-a-tree-Finnish-population.jpg)

Mary (†): omega, [Saluki](http://www.saluki.fi/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/elokuu091.jpg) 

Karen (†): beta, [Siberian jay](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Siberian_Jay_Kittila_20100312.jpg/1024px-Siberian_Jay_Kittila_20100312.jpg)

Azriel, the Shaman Spirit, [raven](http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/48/48F6E3FD-C61E-4E2E-A334-0104967C3025/Presentation.Large/Raven-on-branch.jpg)

 

Michael: alpha, [Curly Coated Retriever](http://www.drc.de/sites/dev.drc.de/files/styles/lightbox/public/Curly_Standard_kl.jpg?itok=5LoWZolX)

Hester: omega, [chinchilla](http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/28/28FB76F6-D66D-4D3D-8231-568B506E59F0/Presentation.Large/Long-tailed-chinchilla.jpg)

Luke: alpha, [eagle owl](http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/23/231FFA8D-6F82-4C12-8662-5AAFC7BE2FDB/Presentation.Large/Eurasian-eagle-owl-landing.jpg)

Naomi: omega, [dragonfly](http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/9B/9BFFF715-F1F0-42A4-BBF1-8AB6C04C175A/Presentation.Large/Emperor-dragonfly-in-flight-above-water.jpg)

Gabriel: beta, [red fox](http://cdn1.arkive.org/media/76/76128F15-0CD4-42D8-8A31-A793EC05FB9D/Presentation.Large/Red-fox-grooming.jpg)


	4. Cover art

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cover art to the series by the talented [British Sarcasm](http://sarcastic-sketches.tumblr.com/).

Part One: The Grey Castle

 

Part Two: Here Before Me

 

Part Three: The Long Way Home

 

Part Four: To Provide And Protect

 

Part Five: Stars In the Sky

 

Part Six: The Thundering Horizon


End file.
